


Tough Luck

by rancheel



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Video Game 2018), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Any Peter Parker You See Fit, Break Up, F/M, Grocery Shopping, Gun Violence, Gunshot Wounds, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Jealousy, Metro-general Hospital, Moving On, Past Relationship(s), Post-Break Up, Reader-Insert, Relationship(s), The Square Diner, ignoring trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-13 04:22:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18024599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rancheel/pseuds/rancheel
Summary: You thought going to the store would be an easy task, but fate decided to make it harder than it needed to be.(Originally titled "Him.")





	1. Him.

You thought it was easy. Of course you did.

Get to the store, grab the one bag of chips you could have _sworn_ was in your pantry back at your apartment, check out at the cash register, maybe even give the local lottery a shot before leaving.

Back to the car and home before your show came on.

The easy, simplistic life of you.

However after your mini checklist that you’ve memorized _oh so well_ by the time you stepped foot into the warm grocery store, you could have _swore_ you saw him.

You don’t know _how_ your mind could play you like this, and you quickly went into panic mode.

Rushing to whatever aisle was closest and empty, you found salvation in the silence of the spot you were in.

There’s _no way_ he could be at the same store as you right now.

Deep breaths. Just get your chips, maybe a small pint of ice cream and then get the hell out of the store as fast as you came in.

Once you finally regained control over your rising panic, you cautiously made your way to the chip aisle which was ironically right across from the aisle you were already in.

After a quick scan of the items on the shelves, you grabbed the family sized bag. _Of course, for your family sized troubles._

You were on your way out of the aisle when you saw him again. Except he wasn’t alone.

He was with another girl, chatting her up and _most definitely_ leaning in for a kiss on the lips.

It’s been a month and he’s moved on _that_ fast? You really didn’t pin Peter Parker to move on that fast, but hey, surprises are nice.

In moderation.

You realized you were staring at Peter and the girl essentially _making out_ near the bakery section of the store and quickly strode into the next aisle you looked at.

The candy aisle. Okay.

Maybe you could get a small bag of those Snickers with the Rice Krispie Treats in them? Those usually do the trick to make you feel better. Or maybe even grab a giant bag of gummy bears, those don’t remind you of Peter Parker. Not at all.

You went ahead and grabbed the small bag of mini Snickers with the Rice Krispie Treats. You can’t deny yourself _some_ sweetness in your life.

Taking a deep breath you start to head to the ice cream aisle to see if they had anything worth your time to inhale once you got home, only to almost run into him _again._

Except this time, he was with the girl, picking out which ice cream they should get and was definitely making eye contact with you right now.

Your new plan was _fantastic_. Not a single flaw in sight.

Calmly turn around, head back to the candy aisle and grab the big bag of gummy bears before moving quickly to the self-checkout.

_Scan. Bag. Swipe._

The store suddenly felt too hot as you could hear someone calling your name. That only made you stare harder at the small printing machine to get your receipt for your purchases.

It should have printed out by now. Why didn’t it print out by now? The stupid piece of _shit_ always wants to stop working when it needs to _do its job-_

The paper came out right as you heard what sounded shoes skidding on tile.

_Rip. Grab. Leave._

The cold air outside the store greeted you somewhat like a warm blanket. Your sweater wasn’t too thick, and you could feel the goosebumps rising on your skin as you speed walked to your car, your wallet being jammed into your back pocket once more before you fished out your car keys.

The cold was extremely welcoming. More so than the warmth at the store. The goosebumps slightly reminded you of how you felt seeing an old friend you just reconnected with had returned. It was making you kinda happy you were finally in the parking lot.

You haphazardly shoved your wallet into your back pocket, fishing out your keys next.

_Press._

Your car chirped to life in that instance, meaning that the doors were unlocked and you could hide away from the possibility of him finding you in the crowded parking lot.

_Tug. Pull. Sit. Relax._

Finally, peace and quiet.

You inserted the key in it’s designated socket and turned it only to start shivering as the AC kicked on.

Your hand was quick to turn to the dial to put it in the red, the air starting to slowly turn into heat.

The cold seemed to start becoming a familiar constant at this point. Maybe it was a sign.

The radio was playing an acoustic cover of a song you don’t have any clue of, so you just switch it to a random station. You were only to be met with loud, obnoxious heavy metal screaming in your already pounding ears.

You move to turn the volume off for the time being.

You felt the despair of your evening at the grocery store setting into your chest. Your eyes were most certainly stinging, but you were willing yourself to get your shit together so you could cry at home.

The clock on your dash says that it’s already nine.

If you were home right now, you’d be hearing your show’s theme playing happily as you sat on your comfortable couch eating chips.

And yet, here you were in your still somewhat freezing car, thinking about Peter Parker and the girl he was with. The chips, Snickers, and gummy bears being your only solace in your fucked up little world.

You sigh harshly and run your hands through your hair, tugging at the roots gently before you just lean back into the seat and gather what little thoughts you have.

Before you get too far gone, you’re quick to rub your eyes and shift to pull on your seat belt.

_Click. Breathe. Shift. Drive._


	2. Her.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go into work after your eventful weekend getting over your grocery shopping experience thinking that you'd have a normal Monday at work. 
> 
> Oh how you wish it was normal.

It was an early Monday morning when you walked into The Square Diner.

Cold air hung in the dining area where the tables were, due to the sudden snow that decided to hit New York City.

You loved it.

You waved to some of the regulars who were happily sipping at coffee while they looked at their menus, still bundled up in their winter coats and scarves.

If only you were so lucky.

You made it to the small back room and started to work on tugging off the warmth and security of your jacket, hanging it on one of the free hooks, along with your bag you’d brought your college work with you for your break.

A normal, average, everyday Monday.

You came back out in your uniform, already genuinely debating on pulling your coat back on and praying your boss didn’t see you wearing it.

Ignoring the idea you’re quick to grab a small waist apron that was already armed with various pens and a server pad nestled in the semi-deep front pockets, ready to get to work.

You’re the only other server besides Janice that’s there this morning, the cooks happily conversing in the back.

The atmosphere is light.

Your morning slowly gets busier, serving a few regulars and newcomers, trying extremely hard not to curse out to any man who just so happened to try and flirt with you.

The _audacity_.

By the late morning, your section of the diner was almost empty, your usual party of three coming in before sitting at their usual booth.

You sent them a wide smile as you made your way to their table, pen and server pad at the ready.

“Welcome back to The Square Diner, you guys. The usual?”

_Click. Shift._

“We’ll actually start today off with some coffee, if that’s okay, Y/N,” Matt said kindly, turning his head in the general direction where you stood.

You were quick to scribble on the server pad before smiling, drawing a small symbol at the top of the ticket that you _insisted_ on using whenever the lawyers of Hell’s Kitchen came in.

“Of course! I’ll be back with some mugs.”

You were quick to get the three mugs and place them in front of Karen, Matt, and Foggy before filling them up three-quarters of the way before carefully sliding the creamer cups and sugar up a bit closer to their hands so Matt didn’t have to feel around or get directed by Karen and Foggy too much.

“Creamer’s on your left, sugar’s closer to the right. I’ll check back in with you in a bit to see if you’re wanting anything else, alright?” You said kindly, your smile growing as they thank you as if you’ve just given them water after walking through a desert.

You’re in the middle of placing the coffee pot on the dock when the bell to the diner rang and someone sat at the breakfast bar, that was also sadly your turn to serve until your break.

“Hi, welcome to The Square Diner, what can I get you?” You said as you turned around, only to almost freeze in your place.

It was _her_. The girl Peter was with _that_ night.

Who said that this could happen? _In all the places of New York-_

“Hello! Uh, I’ll just take a coffee for right now, thank you.”

_Inhale. Force Smile. Turn._

You grabbed a mug from the small rack in the corner of the counter behind the bar, quick to place it in front of her as she read the menu and grab the coffee pot to fill it three-quarters of the way.

“Let me know if I can get you anything, alright?” You forced your smile to look more authentic.

The girl smiled and nodded as she looked at the menu.

You let your smile fall quickly after you placed the pot back on the dock and went back to Karen, Matt, and Foggy’s booth.

“Have we decided on what to order for late breakfast?” You questioned, letting a small smile come up as you held your serving pad and pen in hand again.

_Click. Shift. Clear throat._

You were quick to write down their orders and relay them to the cooks before you were practically forced to turn your attention to _her._

“Have you decided on anything, ma’am?” You asked.

Wow, she _really_ brings out the customer service voice out of you.

“Oh, um, yeah, I’d like..” She started, trailing off slightly as you quickly got your pad ready to write her order on a new page before she spoke up. “You look familiar..”

_Oh no. No, no no no._

“I work here as often as I can between classes-” You offered before she cut you off, her face lighting up.

“You’re the girl that Peter ran after in the store the other night!” She exclaimed, seeming genuinely happy to actually meet you. You wish you felt the same, but something in you just wouldn’t let that happen.

“Oh- Uh, yeah. _Hi._ ”

_Shift. Click. Inhale. Force Wider Smile._

“You’re- you’re Y/N right? Peter’s friend?”

A friend? _Friend?_

“Yeah, I am,” You gritted out with your best tone possible that wouldn’t get you fired. You moved your pen to your hand that held the pad and held it out. “And you are?”

“Emily.” Her hand was weirdly soft and not at all cold in your hand as you briefly shook hands.

“Nice to meet you, Emily. Glad to put a name to the face.”

You wish it was your face that was kissed at the store that night.

“Same here! I’ll tell you my order super quick and I’ll let you get your orders, I’m _so_ sorry for keeping you!”

You didn’t get what she meant until you glanced over your shoulder to see the food for only booth you have. Oh.

Quickly you wrote her order and slid it to the cooks before piling the hot plates on your arms with ease, moving over gracefully to the booth the group sat at.

You really wish waitressing was an olympic sport, you’d get the gold.

You laid the dishes in front of Foggy, Karen, and Matt respectively and asked if they needed anything else.

After that point, your day got a little easier.

The Lawyers of Hell’s Kitchen left right as the diner picked up for the lunch rush, leaving you a nice tip between the three, and plans to swing by their office to get a look at some cases you could go and try to help them with.

Emily was seeming to be nice, which made you swallow your pride and try to push back that she’s your ex’s new girl.

She seemed sweet, kinda like the Snickers you devoured during your show’s rerun that night.

But your mind wouldn’t leave it at that. You kept replaying how she and Peter had kissed at the store and your sadness came back that you shook off over 48 hours ago.

It was _agitating_.

You didn’t have any choice to run. No choice to hide from it.

It really made you want to swan dive into the oil of the deep fryer in the kitchen during your break.

However, that was avoided.

_Barely._

You were talking with one of the cooks, trying to get yourself into higher spirits when you were both on your breaks, Emily still at the breakfast bar as she ate her food.

It was all silent.

Until you heard what sounded like a gun cocking, and someone screaming as if they were in a horror film, about to get murdered.


	3. Them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You should really think about your surroundings next time you try to help out people.

You had read about the different types of gun fights that happen in New York. Especially since you’d been warned about a new vigilante called The Punisher, thanks to Matt. 

You never expected to end up being in the _middle_ of one.

You were hiding under the metal counters in the kitchen while there was constant gun fire from what sounded like some automatic weapon before there were shouts and the sound of a gun making a clacking sound as it sounded like it was sliding across the floors of the dining area.

“See?” A gruff voice started, the sound of another gun smacking onto the counter of the breakfast bar, “That wasn’t so hard, was it Grotto?”

Hold on. _Grotto?_

Like, Nelson and Murdock Grotto?

“H-Hey man, listen, I.. I don’t want any trouble!”

 _Exactly_ Nelson and Murdock Grotto.

“You were askin’ for trouble the _second_ you decided to go hidin’ from me,” The gruff voice replied before a sharp slap reverberated in the diner. “You really think you’re gettin’ off _easy,_ hotshot?”

Scuffling was heard followed by more whimpers, you assumed it was some of the customers that couldn’t make it to the exit and were forced to watch and listen like you.

You hated it.

“No! No, _no, no,_ I don’t- _”_ Grotto shouted before he cut himself off with a grunt, another fist connecting to his jaw, the crunching noise sounded like it was right out of a film.

It made you shudder.

“Listen to me, and listen good _._ You’re gonna come with me, and we’re gonna have a _nice_ _little chat_ ,” The man spat before the sound of the gun sliding off of the counter top of the breakfast bar was heard and Grotto’s hissing in pain was heard.

The small bell of the entrance door to the diner rang.

“Oh, hey! Can I get an order of-”

The gun went off as there was a distinct _thwip_ coming from the far corner he stood in.

 _Spider-Man,_ thank god.

“That’s not very good customer service!” Spider-Man yelled, yanking his hands down so the webbing connected to the man’s gun would throw it out of his hands.

The sounds of a fight flew in through the diner loudly, grunts and crashes repeating constantly, the occasional scream from a civilian cutting through the fighting.

Grotto had the chance to escape from the other man’s sight as he rushed back into the kitchen before whispering aggressively.

“Where’s the exit?!”

You were quick to point at the emergency exit door that was through the hall that lead to the loading bay for orders. Grotto was quick to huff out a thank you before he practically _flew_ to the door.

_Inhale. Exhale. Press Yourself Against The Wall. Inhale._

You’re shaking as if you’re in _Antarctica_ and your breathing is _so ragged._

You should really consider moving from New York, your heart can’t take this bullshit.

The cooks you were sheltered with in the kitchen decide to look out into the main lobby to see what the hell was even happening.

It wasn’t good.

Blood was a new decor piece in The Square Diner, Spider-Man or the other guy’s, no one really knows.

The cooks scrambled back into their spots as they watched the man toss Spider-Man’s limp body into the doorway.

“Nice try, flyboy.”

“F-Flyboy? What kind of a ni-nickname is that?” Spider-Man coughed out, groaning loudly as he slowly sat up.

It wasn’t long before the man grabbed the fabric of Spider-Man’s suit and lifted him up off the ground.

You were _immensely_ terrified. If Spider-Man was practically out of commission after just a few minutes of fighting some random guy, what would he do when he found out that Grotto was out of the establishment?

“Shut up!”

When the man barked out the order, you and your coworkers back in the kitchen involuntarily flinched.

The man took a breath to speak before the sounds of glass shattering and the clanking of pipes bouncing off of hard surfaces ended the breath he was intaking, and sounds of a body falling to the ground was heard.

“God dammit, _Red._ ”

“Where’s Grotto?” Daredevil demanded, the man’s body soon being kicked into the stools that were cemented into the ground near the bottom of the breakfast bar.

The man’s chuckle was just as rough as his voice, almost as if he had to clear his throat just to continue speaking.

It made your stomach churn.

“We have to do something,” Jack, one of your cooks you were hidden with said.

“What the hell are _we_ supposed to do?” Mike, the final piece to your puzzle in the kitchen hissed back in reply.

_Inhale. Exhale. Shift. Glance Out Into The Lobby._

Jack and Mike started to bicker back and forth as the sounds of punching, grunting, and thwiping started to get louder again, the fight clearly having continued.

You had an idea.

A crazy one, sure, but it might be fine.

Keyword: _Might._

You were quick to duck out and into the lobby, just barely missing the feet of Daredevil and the man that had the gun in his hand once more as you slid to the tables that were closest to the front door of the building, seeing some of your customers shaking and curled up wherever they could be.

This has to work.

Daredevil and Spider-Man together was a force to be reckoned with.

A lot of spandex material between the two, but still a force nonetheless.

“Hey, _Clifford!_ Watch out!” Spider-Man called as he was thrown off of the gunman’s shoulder, landing behind the bar, groaning loudly in pain as he laid against the tile, the gun falling next to him with his web fluid still attached to the barrel.

“ _Never_ call me that again!” Daredevil shouted as he caught the gunman’s fist that was about ready to fly into his face and moved to twist it quickly, the cracking of his wrist sounding almost like a glowstick.

“Listen to me, Frank,” Daredevil whispered breathlessly, leaning close to the gunman’s ear, pinning his arm just between his shoulder blades.

“You’re gonna come with me to the police station, and we’re gonna walk away.”

While this was happening, you were carefully guiding the terrified customers out of the door, extremely thankful that the loud noises of the fight didn’t stop when you’d opened the door to cause it’s bell chime to echo.

You saw that for the most part, your mini evacuation was successful, but there was one person missing.

Emily.

Spider-Man was back up over the counter, no gun attached to him as he jumped over a knocked over table to join Daredevil and the gunman’s conversation.

“Like hell I’m gonna do that, _Red._ Grotto’s mine, one way or another,” The gunman hissed back in reply, eyeing the beat up Spider-Man in front of him before slamming his head back into Daredevil’s before turning around to sweep his legs out from under him.

Spider-Man tried to web him up to keep him from moving, but the gunman was too quick and jumped over the breakfast bar.

You found Emily hiding under a booth’s table, hugging her knees to her chest as she was hyperventilating.

You tried your best to calm her down and coax her to come out so you could rush her outside just as Spider-Man sighed aggressively, placing his hands on his hips as Daredevil climbed back to his feet, the gunman laughing once more.

“Thanks for the help,” Daredevil mumbled harshly, dramatically wiping at his suit while Spider-Man hummed in response, nodding firmly.

“You’re welcome.”

“Remind me to _never_ call you for anything ever again.”

“That’s harsh, _Elmo_ , you didn’t even call me!” Spider-Man sassed, letting out a grunt when Daredevil smacked at his shoulder harder than he probably should have.

You finally got Emily up and responsive and decided the best option would be to get up and walk fast to the exit.

You were both ducking down when it happened.

Emily was practically sprinting in her hunched over state to the door you had propped open while you were hot on her tail.

Daredevil and Spider-Man didn’t anticipate that the gun was still loaded.

Hell, they didn’t anticipate to see him _fire_ either.

He was aiming for Daredevil. Daredevil would have been shot if Spider-Man _didn’t shoot the web._

Spider-Man shot his web to wrap around the gun’s barrel again just as the gunman pulled the trigger, the bullet missing Daredevil’s chest completely as the bullet happily hit it’s next target.

You.

It felt like it was happening in slow motion, really.

You stood up straight and had turned around to the sound of the gunshot and didn’t even notice the bullet heading right for your chest until it hit.

Daredevil, The gunman, and Spider-Man were fighting when you felt the pain of not only the bullet, but the glass that’s shattered behind you as you fell against the door, gasping out in pain.

By the time you were fading in and out of consciousness, Spider-Man had stopped fighting and rushed over, calling your name as he eyed the entrance wound to the bullet and tried to keep you awake.

Instead you let your eyes close.

_Inhale. Shallow Exhale. Inhale. Shallow Exhale._

_Repeat._


	4. You.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally wake up in the hospital after being treated for your wounds and the first person you talk to is your favorite nurse before you're left alone with your thoughts.

Pain.

That’s all that you felt right in this very moment.

Not just mental, at this point it was more physical.

_Shift. Wince. Inhale Deeply._

Yeah, this was pain.

You squeezed your eyes shut tightly, not wanting to face the room you were in. Who knows, you could be dead right now and might end up seeing a dead relative. That doesn’t sound like a fun time.

You could hear a distinct beeping, your arms and back were pulsating in pain while your chest felt practically numb.

Were those good signs?

Mentally, you sigh and slowly start to open your eyes once you heard the door to the room open.

Metro-General Hospital.

Another old friend.

Your hand was already heading towards the pulsating pain on your arms to feel around as to why it was hurting _so bad_.

Warm and gentle hands stopped your hands from going in that direction.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Y/N.”

Your face scrunched up as you prepared to whine before the voice registered in your head, your eyes flashing quickly to follow the new pair of hands up to the body they came from.

Claire?

“Yes, I work here, remember?” Claire teased gently, smiling softly down at your confused state. Guess you said it out loud, then.

You nodded and tried to shift yourself to where you could sit up against the hospital bed, only to be met with more pain.

Claire was quick to stop you and pulled one of the hospital chairs up next to your bed so you two could still chat and she could be in your blurry line of sight.

“What happened? Matt wouldn’t tell me when he rushed you over here,” Claire said gently, her face etched with concern as you raised a brow in confusion.

“M-Matt brought me here?”

“Well, yeah. Who else would?”

“S-Spider-Man-”

Claire cut you off with a quiet laugh.

“Y/N..”

“It’s true, Claire! He was wh-who I saw before I blacked out!” You exclaimed, holding back your grunts and groans of pain as you shifted.

“Okay, _okay_. I believe you, just _please_ try to stay still. You had a lot of glass from the door in your back,” Claire said firmly, almost like a parent. You just took a deep breath in before nodding to calm yourself down.

Claire took it upon herself to fill you in on everything that’s happened since you touched the grounds of Metro-General, from how you had to get the bullet that was lodged in you out all the way to how they had to find a way to get the small shards of glass out of your back without causing any extra damage to the bullet wound.

Eventually Claire had to leave you to tend to other patients, but promised to return for lunch.

Part of you wished she stayed.

You have far too much time to think about how different yesterday would have been if you had just _left_ the diner without finding Emily.

Or, what if you had just stayed back in the kitchen with Jack and Mike?

Either way, maybe you wouldn’t have taken a bullet for it.

You made a mental note to ask Matt about how he found you, and maybe even question if he knew about how Grotto was being hunt down by some big scary guy.

Was that The Punisher?

If it were, you might have been everything but shocked. He definitely looked like the newest vigilante added to New York’s ever growing list.

That may be saying much, but he had the rugged look down and was causing you to fear for what would happen to you once he left the hospital.

Would he try to track you down and kill you because you witnessed the whole shootout?

Would he try to kidnap you and torture you for information about the case Grotto was involved with?

Maybe you should try your hand at becoming a vigilante so you could protect yourself.

That’d be fun wouldn’t it? Being your own personal Daredevil. Flipping around and being as sassy and witty as Spider-Man. Hell, maybe even get on Tony Stark’s good side and join the Avengers.

Sounds like a nice life, really. You don’t want to think about the negatives and the set backs, but being a part of saving your city? The rush you’d get saving people like you did before you were shot?

 _God,_ you really were taking it into consideration and ignoring the fact that you’re in a hospital bed right now with your whole body throbbing in pain from the past twenty-four hours.

_Inhale. Exhale Sadly. Shift Carefully._

You should have asked Claire to give you something that would let you sleep.

You don’t think you could survive the next couple of hours until lunch awake, you can’t even reach the remote for your TV in your hospital room.

And you’re not even really tired, but you don’t have many options to do anything in this damn hospital bed but sleep or just watch TV.

You hate every second of it. You can’t occupy yourself forever, your mind will only let you wander back to the seconds before the bullet hit your chest, and you would rather choke that think of that again.

Just as you were about to try and reach for the TV remote again, a gentle knock came from your door before someone pushed it open to come in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a bit of a shorter chapter to give you all a breather from how intense it's been! 
> 
> while i have your attention, on my tumblr, some have asked if Reader will end up with Peter, Emily, or Matt, or if Reader will just promptly move from NY in general. i've decided that i'm going to be posting separate endings, so that way you, the reader, can choose between Peter, Emily, or Matt. I would add the whole "moving away from NY" option, but truthfully, i feel as if we're all here for the x reader aspect rather than the whole no love interest plot.
> 
> if you'd like to talk with me, ask questions about this series, want chat with me in general, or request something my tumblr is adolescenthowell! and please feel free to comment on here and let me know if you'd like anything added to this piece in its entirety! 
> 
> thank you for sticking around this long!


	5. Us.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Peter finally sit down and have that chat ex’s usually have, mixed in with a few confessions.

Peter was quick to shut the door behind him once he walked past the threshold. 

He had flowers.

 _Flowers_.

“Uh, hey.” He was shifting on his feet and sent you a painfully awkward smile as he held the small bouquet in his hand before speeding over to the chair that Claire left close to the bed.

“Hi,” You replied, tensing up considerably.

“I uh, heard about the whole.. shooting thing.” You saw Peter wince at his sentence the same time you did.

At least he knows it was a bad choice.

“Yeah, it was a blast,” You replied casually before you realized the unintentional pun that could mean.

Peter seemed like he got it, but didn’t want to laugh during a time like this.

The air between you two were tense.

Peter kept looking at your IV’s and just noticing how _fragile_ you looked.

It was terrible.

“I got you some flowers,” He blurted out quickly, smiling small before he carefully held them close to your hands. You felt a smile grow onto your face as you barely reached out to grab them.

The flowers were a beautiful off white. You had no idea what kind of flower they were, but needless to say, they were _enchanting._

“Thank you, Pete. You didn’t have to.”

“I-I know. I just.. I felt like I _had_ to, y’know? I was thinking about you the whole time after I tried to keep you awake and I after kinda handed you off to that lawyer friend of yours..”

Oh.

_Oh._

Spider-Man was Peter?

That made a lot of things from your relationship click. 

“So you’re the Spider-Man?” You said casually, raising your head to stop looking down at the flowers to make eye contact with Peter in the chair.

Peter looked scared and sat up straight, rubbing his hands on his jeans. He seemed... nervous?

“Wh-What? What makes you say that?”

You stared blankly at Peter now.

Sometimes he was _such_ an idiot.

“You said something about trying to keep me awake before I went unconscious.”

Peter looked back at you confused completely before groaning and quickly placing his head in his hands.

_Busted._

You wanted to move and cross your arms over your chest, but your IV’s were still making your arms ache, so you decided against it.

Peter took a minute to rub his face and take a few deep breaths in.

“Okay, yeah. Yeah. I’m Spider-Man. I’m sorry I you just found out this way instead of me directly telling you-”

“Is that why we broke up?” You asked suddenly, shifting at a regular speed which caused the flowers to fall off of your lap and onto the empty side of the bed before you felt the pain return for a few moments.

_Deep Inhale. Slow Exhale. Shift Slower._

“I.. I mean..” Peter started before he saw your firm stare, ducking his head down to rub his neck. “Yeah.”

You let out a small humorless laugh and carefully lift your arm with the less amount of IV’s to run a hand through your hair before leaning against the firm hospital mattress.

“That’s a stupid reason, you know.”

“Aunt May said the same thing,” Peter said softly now, letting out a small huff of a laugh before sitting up with his elbows on his knees.

Awkward and tense silence decided to settle in the room.

“You know I never meant to hurt you,” Peter spoke up, looking up at you as he tried to catch your gaze. You let out a scoff and closed your eyes tightly.

“Doesn’t mean you didn’t, Pete.” Your eyes were starting to sting with tears and you really wished you could press the heels of your hands into your eyes so you wouldn’t start crying.

_Shaky Inhale. Slow Exhale._

“I-I’m sorry. I really am, Y/N. I thought I’d keep you safe– keep you _protected_ from what-what’s out there-”

“Like keeping me safe from _The Punisher_ was going to be an _easy task_ , Peter. You almost got hurt yourself! Didn’t you see how he practically _fired a gun_ at you? You _dodged_ it!” You exclaimed, trying not to get too worked up. Sadly, your heart monitor was giving you away as Peter tried to calm you down.

“I know, I _know_. I’d rather see myself get hurt rather than you, I-I should have jumped in front of that bullet but I was just.. just _frozen,”_ Peter spoke out quickly carefully taking your hands in his as you finally opened your eyes in slight confusion, a few tears slipping out of your waterline and down your cheeks.

Peter was slowly turning into a mess too. His eyes definitely looked on the verge of tears before he started talking again.

“I couldn’t bare seeing you unconscious like that.. You looked so.. _so lifeless_. It was terrifying. I was swinging as fast as I could when I saw your lawyer friend and I just told him what was going on and he got a cab and rushed back over to get you-”

“You got Matt to get me instead of just _swinging_ me here?”

“What else was I supposed to do? I had to help the other people that were there! Daredevil had The Punisher under control and couldn’t stop and pick you up!”

You let out a harsh sigh and just shook your head, feeling more tears drip down your face before slowly moving your hands to rub them off.

“Let’s just.. Stop. _Stop_ , please,” You insisted, taking in a slow breath once more. “This _clearly_ isn’t doing well for my health at the moment.”

Without missing a beat, Peter replied.

“Then whenever you get out, let’s have dinner. Talk about it. And maybe try and fix whatever happened?”

You rose a brow, your hands still rubbing at your damp cheeks.

“Dinner?”

“Y-Yeah. We could go back to my place and I’ll try to cook-”

You cut Peter off with a quiet giggle as you looked down, your hands finally going back into your lap as your eyes stopped stinging with tears for the time being.

You looked down at your fingers as you talked.

“Don’t you think Emily will have a problem with that? Not just the dinner and me, but burning down your apartment?” You questioned, your tone shifting into a slight sadder one at the mention of the new girl in his life.

Peter looked back at you confused before his face overcame with realization.

“Oh you, you saw that at the store?”

That caused your head to snap back up in a matter of seconds.

You wanted to reach over and do a number of things to Peter Parker in that moment.

The top action on your list?

Slap him.

As much as you’d really _love_ to, you just sat back in your hospital bed and took a few moments to reply.

“Yes, I did.”

“God, she was so clingy that whole trip, and that was the worst part when she came onto me. I’m _so_ sorry you had to witness that,” Peter said, groaning before running his hands through his hair again. That caused you to mentally step back and look at the whole situation.

Peter wasn’t actually.. _dating_ Emily?

You were genuinely confused at this point and really could end up going to sleep without any help of drugs.

That’s a good thing, but now you have a lot of unanswered questions.

“You mean, you two- you’re not.. An _item_?” You stumbled out.

“What? Oh _god_ no! She wanted to hang out with me, and me being the idiot I am, I said yes.”

Well, at least he knows what he is.

You let out a snort and shook your head carefully lifting your hands up to clap slowly.

“Good job, Parker. _Great_ job.”

Peter just looked up at you and let out a small laugh as he leaned back to tug his shirt down slightly.

“Thanks, it’s a specialty. But seriously, I’d love to have dinner with you again, and maybe work this whole... _thing_ we have out,” Peter reassured, smiling small as he made eye contact with you as you lowered your hands.

Without the heart monitor, you’re sure regardless Peter would have known that made your heart skip a beat.

"I-  _yeah._ Totally. We can try to figure something out, Pete."

You really hope that later on you won't regret that decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! if you wanna stick around and read the Emily and Matt endings, those will be out eventually! also sorry if this chapter isn't that great, i'm not feeling too good today so the editing and writing may be kinda sucky.


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